Helghan Empire
Everything on this page can be found here The Helghan Empire is the authoritarian governing body on planet Helghan, ruling over the Helghast people. They are the main antagonists of the Killzone series. The founder and first ruler of the Empire was Autarch Scolar Visari, who was succeeded by Admiral Orlock, the Helghast Military Commander, following the battle of Pyrrhus City, invasion of Visari Palace and his death. The formation of the Helghan Empire occurred some time after the First Extrasolar War against the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance and United Colonial Nations, but no more than a decade before the second war. Helghast leaders, including Scolar Visari, continue to impose the belief that the Helghast race is superior to humanity, creating not only intense distrust, but also an expanding hatred of UCN, ISA, or any other form of foreign rule. The Helghast think of themselves as a master race, who should be ruling the perceived "lesser" human race. They serve as the primary antagonists of the original Killzone trilogy. As of Killzone: Shadow Fall, their strength is greatly reduced. History Exodus Following the First Extrasolar War, the Helghan Corporation was dismantled and all its assets seized by the UCN. Vekta, once a planetary holding of the now-defunct Helghan Corporation, was turned over to direct ISA rule, and colonists from Earth were brought in to supplement Vekta's corporate-affiliated population. However, tensions soon rose between the Earth minority and Helghan corporate majority, resulting in Helghan resistance fighters targeting and killing many Earth-loyal citizens in terrorist attacks. The ISA governors' response was to enact more and more economic sanctions and military punishments on the Helghan-affiliated colonists in retribution for the Helghan persecution of Earth-loyal colonists. By 2220, in the face of such persecution, all loyal Helghan corporate colonists had chosen voluntary relocation to planet Helghan, where years of hardship awaited them. In order to leave for Helghan, they purchased and refurbished the original colony ships they had used to reach Alpha Centauri. Since neither the UCN or ISA wanted to fund this new colonization attempt, they were then declared to be a sovereign nation, with Helghan being their territory in perpetuity - subject to ISA blockades and restrictions until, "diplomatic relations" were normalized. The Helghan settlements recreated the former Helghan authority to rule over all affairs on Helghan, but this rule was often inefficient and corrupt. Their human bodies were ill prepared for the harsh environment of Helghan, resulting in most of the first generation dying only a short while after they arrived in the system. However, by 2305, future generations had evolved an increased biological resistance to the harsh atmospheric conditions, some even discarding the common breathing masks that many colonists still relied upon. Great Depression In 2330-2350, due to incredibly unfair trade rates enforced by the ISA, Helghan was hit by a major economic depression, leading to widespread poverty and famine across the planet. This allowed Scolar Visari to stage a successful popular coup against the ruling Helghan Administration in 2347, and declared himself the "Autarch". Birth of the Helghast Seeking to further transform the Helghast, Visari created his brand of Helghast culture based on Helghan superiority. He immediately instigated Helghan into a highly secretive militant state (much like Nazi Germany), instigating a complete media takeover on Helghan. He re-established hostilities with the ISA in his bid to conquer Vekta and exact revenge on the UCN, and this conflict became now known as the Second Extrasolar War. Second Extrasolar War The Helghast attempted to conquer and subdue Vekta by utilizing two spies within the ISA in order to disable the Orbital Defense System on Vekta, allowing the Helghast Third Army to land on Vekta without any resistance in space. Although they nearly conquered the planet, ultimately, the invasion failed and the Helghast were pushed off Vekta entirely. The ISA subsequently launched a retaliatory strike against Helghan, establishing a beachhead at Pyrrhus in a bid to capture Scolar Visari and dismantle the Helgast regime. During the first hours of D-Day for the second wave, the Helghast forces set up a defensive perimeter consisting of Arc Pillars. After the Arc Pillars destroyed Avenger Convoy, which was en route to Visari Palace to capture the Autarch, the ISA decided it was best not to move forward as such an action would only result in more losses. The ISA dispatched Alpha Squad to locate the source of the Pillars' power. After finding a Petrusite Grid under the Maelstra Barrens, the ISA Fleet tried to destroy the Grid, but was beset by a surprise attack by a Helghast armada in a daring raid to obtain the nuclear launch codes for several ISA nuclear warheads captured by the Helghast in their failed invasion of Vekta. During a pitched battle in the skies above Helghan, the Helghast fleet successfully destroyed several ISA cruisers, including the ISA flagship, New Sun. However, the New Sun crashed itself into the Petrusite Grid as it came down, destroying it and deactivating almost all defenses in Pyrrhus. However, as the ISA celebrated, the Helghast used the codes they had acquired to detonate a nuclear warhead in Pyrrhus, wiping out the vast majority of the ISA invasion force, and the remaining Helghast forces within the city. In a desperate effort to capture Visari, the remaining ISA forces launched a daring raid against Visari Palace during which they destroyed a massive Arc battery in Visari Square, fighting their way to the palace courtyard and front entrance in a relentless attack. Thereafter, ISA commandos Rico Velasquez and Tomas Sevchenko fought their way through the last of Visari's forces within Visari Palace itself, killing Colonel Mael Radec, military leader of the Helghast troops and personal bodyguard of Scolar Visari himself. Afterwards, Velasquez and Sevchenko stormed Visari's throne room to arrest him, but Visari was killed by an enraged Velasquez. Before he died, Visari swore that he would be seen as a martyr if he was to be killed and that "Helghan will dissolve into chaos", which is exactly what happened. Helghan fell into a state of civil war as different political factions rose to claim power. The remaining ships of the ISA fleet were either destroyed or withdrew from Helghan entirely, while the ISA troops that weren't able to withdraw became stranded on Helghan, with no way of receiving any further aid, and no other transportation off Helghan. With Visari dead, the Helghast military and the main Helghast weapons manufacturer, Stahl Arms, began to wage a political struggle to take control of the Helghast government, while the stranded ISA troops were forced to battle for mere survival. Eventually, the political struggle for control of the Helghast government came to a climax, only made worse by successful operations conducted by the ISA remnant. In a meeting between the Helghast military leader (and recently crowned Autarch) Orlock and Stahl Arms chairman Jorhan Stahl, a skirmish erupted between forces led by the two leaders, resulting in the death of Autarch Orlock. This plunged the Helghast race into civil war, allowing the ISA forces to destroy Stahl's experimental cruiser before he could enact his plan to eradicate all life on Earth. The resulting petrusite explosions from Stahl's cruiser destroyed a massive space station, the entire Helghast invasion fleet destined for Earth, and violently irradiated all unprotected life on the planet Helghan in which this devastation is later known as the Terracide. With the ISA forces having escaped Helghan onboard hijacked Helghast strike fighters and currently en route home to Vekta, with at least one, or possibly two most capable successors to Visari's throne killed, and its own homeworld irrevocably devastated by energized petrusite radiation, the Helghan Empire is currently in a state of disarray or even totally destroyed. Immigration and Cold War Following the destruction of Helghan, the empire's remaining population was forced to emigrate to Vekta. However the Helghast largely refused to assimilate into "Human" culture, creating a societal divide between the native Vektans and imbittered Helghans. Over the next thirty years this societal divide would continue to grow and widen, leading to the planet wide wall and subsequent cold war. The Vektan and Helghast governments would engage in covert operations against each other. The remaining survivors on Helghan were united by Jorhan Stahl, and under the guise of mining operations prepared for 30 years to invade Vekta once again, amassing a vast armada of ships and military forces hidden under the surface of the planet. Military The Helghast peoples' lives of extreme hardship naturally make them hardened soldiers. Most of Helghan's fiscal and natural resources go towards the military, leaving little for domestic development. The Helghan military's primary tactics primarily relate to the implementation of vicious, rapidly sweeping surgical strikes reliant on the element of surprise, focusing almost completely on offensive based strategies. However, the Second Extrasolar War has shown that the Helghast military is adept in defensive tactics as well, springing numerous traps and ambushes on unwary ISA forces. However, thirty years after the destruction of Helghan and their resettlement on Vekta, the new Helghast government has made several reforms on the military. Because of the major decrease of population, the government now relies on more highly trained soldiers with better equipment and weaponry, rather than lightly trained ones who rely on overwhelming numbers. Ideology The Helghan Empire's nationalistic ideals emphasize the superiority of the Helghast, a strong military, and total commitment to the Helghast government. Their ideals are symbolized by the Helghast Triad, which emphasizes duty, obedience, and loyalty. Helghan brutality is not directly shown in previous Killzone releases, but in the opening sequence of Killzone it is shown they do not hesitate to execute those who are not born up to standards or who sympathize with humanity. However, Helghan atrocities are quite prevalent during the events of Killzone 3, mostly from Stahl Arms mercenaries, as surrendering ISA troops are often executed on the spot, or are told to run away while the mercenaries shoot them when their backs are turned. Also, a notable example is shown when Jorhan Stahl casually shoots an ISA prisoner, causing a bound and startled Captain Narville (who was scheduled to be executed on live television) to shout "We are prisoners of war! We have rights! You have violated the Stockholm Treaty!" to which a cruelly bemused Stahl chuckles and replies "Stockholm? What planet do you think you're on?!" Prisoners of the Helghast are often tortured to death or even used as unwilling test subjects for a number of agonizingly fatal experiments, showing the sadistic habits of Stahl Arms affiliated personnel. The military is above all the most prized element of the Helghan Empire. The vast majority of the Helghan Nation's resources are spent on the military and Visari's propaganda-related structures in Pyrrhus, leaving very little for the average Helghast civilian's well-being. Also, many high ranking officials in the Helghast military hold very little compassion for their own soldiers or even Helghast civilians in general, let alone any shown to the people of Vekta and anywhere else in the galaxy. The Helghast military's extensive damage inflicted towards Vekta, and the detonation of a nuke in their own capital of Pyrrhus shows their deep hatred for human life and complete disregard for collateral damage, only having a total commitment to their objectives no matter the cost. Inventory Infantry ' * Guard Dog * Police * Scout * Helghast Trooper (Assault Infantry) * Advanced Assault Infantry * Light Soldier * Shock Trooper * Advanced Shock Trooper * Mounted Gunner * Mounted Gunner Medium * Grenadier * Rifleman * Assault Soldier * Support Trooper * Sniper * Pyro Trooper * HAZMAT Trooper * Specialist * Armadillo Trooper * Elite Soldier * Capture Trooper * Heavy Trooper * Commando * Heavy Commando * Bounty Hunter * Squad Leader * Officer * Bodyguard * Base Commander * Supreme Trooper '''Vehicles ' * Spider Mine * Helghast Jet Bike * Helghast Tracked APC * Amphibious Assault Personnel Carrier * Helghast Arc APC * Hover APC * Light Hovertank * Heavy Hovertank * Tracked Helghast Tank * MAWLR 'Sea Vessels ' * Helghast Fast Attack Boat * Helghast Assault Boat '''Air Craft * Sentry Bot * Arc Missile * Mantys Engine * Agile Tactical Air Component * Leech Pod * Helghast Jet Fighters * Helghast Strike Fighter * Helghast Bomber * Overlord Dropship Space Craft * Helghast Cruiser * Arc Cruiser 'Buildings/Defenses ' * Emplaced StA-3 Light Machine Gun * EAW25/4 Chimera Heavy Weapons Platform * Arc Cannon * Arc Tower Category:Factions